Why The Second Season Of ‘Insecure’ Is So Important

Issa Rae’s hit HBO series Insecure is returning for its second season on July 23rd, and besides nearly all of Black America being excited about finding out what’s next for Lawrence and Issa, this news bodes well for Black entertainment as a whole.

Like so many other Black millennials, we’ve been heaping praise on Issa Rae for years. From her breakout web-series Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl to the launch of other series like Firstand Get Your Life, her work has told the often overlooked stories of Black millennials.

That’s why I was initially so excited for Insecure securing a spot at HBO. Finally, a Black millennial voice was get major support.

I didn’t expect for the show to be a breakout success. I didn’t expect mainstream award show recognition. I also didn’t expect for Issa Rae to quickly become a household name. But all of those things happened. Now, on the precipice of getting to see season 2, Insecure has become another landmark of the changing face of American television.

Even so, it is difficult to be picked up for a 2nd season. A lot of shows (good and bad) fail. For proof, you don’t have to look any further than the first show to be cancelled out of the Spring debuts, Doubt. This CBS law drama seemed poised to be a winner; besides casting high profile Katherine Heigl in the lead role, the show made history by casting Laverne Cox, making her the first openly transgender actor in a series regular role on a network television show. Then the show was yanked off air after only 2 low-rated airings. Success on television can seem simple, but it’s far too easy to lose even when you make all the right decisions. That’s why Insecure, a show wildly different from most of what is on television right now, earning a second season shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Furthermore, this was an insanely quick turnaround for a second season. Most series follow a pretty strict yearly cycle, consistently debuting in the Fall, Spring or Summer as each season unfurls. But Insecure aired its first episode just last October, and the season finale itself just aired in November. This means that Rae and Company were able to produce an entire season of the show at break necking pace, and HBO was so confident in the show that they set its debut during summer, a much more competitive season than “late fall”. This is how you make waves and make change in the entertainment industry.

When shows that represent us perform well, it empowers those that tell our stories to have more creative control, bigger budgets, and opportunities for the creation of more platforms. Issa Rae has already signed a first look deal with HBO, which usually leads to the creation of new and different series. But on a larger scale, this success shows other networks that the public wants this type of entertainment and obliges them to create similar shows.

This is why Insecure‘s second season is so important.

It’s massive and continued success is part of a sea change in the entertainment industry. From Insecure to Atlanta to Underground to Queen Sugar to How To Get Away With Murder, varied Black stories are finding their place on television, and each success opens the door for the next one. So keep watching keep streaming, and keep tweeting.